“U.S. Stock Futures Rise as Wall Street Awaits Key Inflation Data and Fed Signals”

U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher Ahead of Key Inflation Data

Market Overview

U.S. stock futures ticked higher early Monday, with Wall Street once again nearing record highs as investors brace for a critical week of inflation reports.

• Dow Jones Industrial Average futures climbed 121 points (+0.3%).

• S&P 500 futures rose 0.1%.

• Nasdaq-100 futures hovered just above neutral territory.

The modest gains came after a Financial Times report revealed that Nvidia and AMD will share a portion of revenue from certain chips sold in China in exchange for export licenses. This news weighed on semiconductor stocks, with Nvidia slipping about 1% and AMD falling 2% in premarket trading.

Recent Market Performance

The Nasdaq Composite ended last week at a new closing high, while the S&P 500 closed just below another major milestone. The Dow also finished the week strong, supported by a surprising rally in Apple, which has underperformed for much of the year.

Market analysts caution that lofty valuations, a softening economic outlook, and ongoing tariff concerns could limit further gains—especially during a historically weak seasonal period.

“We may enter more of a sideways phase in the market, which isn’t necessarily bad,” noted Jay Woods, Chief Global Strategist at Freedom Capital Markets.

Key Data to Watch

This week’s inflation data will be a crucial test for markets near all-time highs:

• Consumer Price Index (CPI) – Tuesday

• Producer Price Index (PPI) – Thursday

These reports will heavily influence expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate decisions at the upcoming September meeting. Hotter-than-expected inflation could slow the market’s upward momentum.

“The most important figure is the CPI,” Woods emphasized. “It will shape the Fed’s monetary policy direction.”

Looking Ahead: Jackson Hole Meeting

Investors are also watching the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole Symposium (Aug. 21–23), which could provide key signals for the September policy meeting. The tone set at this event may guide the market for the rest of the quarter.

Bottom Line:
Markets are starting the week cautiously optimistic, but all eyes are on inflation data. Whether the bull run continues—or takes a pause—will depend on the CPI and PPI numbers, and what they mean for future interest rates